The mega sports brand, NIKE, sees its role as inspiring women to any and all athletic performance which is critical to their identity and self-esteem. Empowering women athletes takes more than just inspired marketing, however. It takes merchandise and NIKE is pivoting to give her more of what she needs to perform at her peak. With women’s bodies structurally different from men, NIKE is now going full tilt to understand those different dynamics and design them into the products it develops for women.
NIKE is addressing barriers to girls’ participation in sport through new community partnerships and access to products to help girls play with confidence. In Paris, Nike is partnering with Sport dans la Ville to train female coaches and engage girls through sports ranging from football to boxing. Globally, Nike is collaborating with Women Win and Gurls Talk to support rising female coaches who are inspiring the next generation of girls to be active. Nike is also piloting a program to provide products such as the Nike Pro Hijab and Nike Classic Sports Bra to girls in need through schools and community partners worldwide.
A recent advert unleashed NIKE’s support to Women’s National Football teams, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOVkEHADCg4 and this will reach new heights in NIKE’s support in the Women’s World Cup 2019 in France. NIKE will be sponsoring top teams, namely:
USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Korea Republic, Netherland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa.
Besides empowering, NIKE seeks to empower those who do not usually exercise and do sport, because in Bill Bowerman, NIKE’s co-founders words ‘If you have a body you are an athlete’.
One such player is Asisat Oshoala, a Nigerian female football athlete
Asisat is an incredible female athlete, footballer from Nigeria, absolute diamond and asset in Nigeria. It’s been a huge week for her – 1st she signs a contract with FCB until 2022. Then,f last Saturday night she becomes the first female Nigerian footballer to appear in a NIKE global campaign after this month she joined the Super Falcons (Nigeria football team) for their debut match in the 2019 World Cup.
Hudson Group represents NIKE and manages its distribution in various parts of Africa, including Nigeria where it coordinated this athlete’s endorsement. Please see: the story execution from here
This collaboration also included the launch of an incredible mural on the walls behind the goal at Asisat’s first club. Together with this, Hudson Group will also be distributing 1000+ of inspirational Asisat ‘Wall Of Dreams’ posters in the coming week among retail and the Asisat foundation.
This ‘on the ground’ activity cascades NIKE’s global goal, to engage with the communities in which it operates in, empowering women to, as the slogan goes ‘Don’t Change your dream, Change the world’. Dreams are truly possible, through hard work and determination.
There has been increased emphasis on Nigeria as the leading hub for all of Africa. This activity strengthens it as so, seeking to propel the African continent forward.
Hudson Group is an international retailer and distributor primarily involved in the sport and fashion wear sectors. The Group’s head office is located in Malta and has subsidiary companies in Italy, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and now also Nigeria. Hudson Group’s roots reach as far back as 1987 when the first pair of NIKE was sold in Malta.
Photos of mural below:
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